Use of hydrophobic dyes to monitor hydrophobic contaminants in a papermaking process
AssigneeEvery Penny Counts, Inc.
InventorsAlessandra Gerli, Laura M. Sherman, Michael J. Murcia
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of monitoring and controlling one or more types of hydrophobic contaminants in a papermaking process is disclosed. The methodology utilizes the measurement of hydrophobic dyes, which are capable of fluorescing and interacting with the hydrophobic contaminants. In addition, a method of determining the relative size of the hydrophobic contaminants is disclosed as well.
Claims19
A method of monitoring one or more types of hydrophobic contaminants in a papermaking process comprising:
- a. obtaining a sample of fluid from said papermaking process;
- b. selecting a hydrophobic dye that is capable of interacting with said contaminants in said fluid and fluorescing in said fluid;
- c. adding said dye to said fluid and allowing a sufficient amount of time for said dye to interact with said contaminants in said fluid;
- d. measuring the fluorescence of the dye in said fluid;
- e. correlating the fluorescence of the dye with the concentration of said contaminants;
- and
- f. optionally controlling the amount of one or more chemicals that reduce or inactivate said contaminants which are added to said papermaking process.
A method of measuring the effectiveness of one or more chemicals that decrease the amount of one or more hydrophobic contaminants in a papermaking process:
- a. monitoring one or more types of contaminants in a papermaking process comprising:
- obtaining a sample of fluid from said papermaking process;
- selecting a hydrophobic dye that is capable of interacting with said contaminants in said fluid and fluorescing in said fluid;
- adding said dye to said fluid and allowing a sufficient amount of time for said dye to interact with said contaminants in said fluid;
- measuring the fluorescence of the dye in said fluid;
- and correlating the fluorescence of the dye with the concentration of said contaminants;
- b. adding one or more chemicals to said papermaking process that decrease the amount of said hydrophobic contaminants in said papermaking process;
- c. re-measuring the amount of contaminants in said papermaking process by performing step (a) at least one more time;
- and
- d. optionally controlling the amount of said chemicals that are added to said papermaking process.
A method of monitoring one or more hydrophobic contaminants and determining the size of said hydrophobic contaminants in a papermaking process comprising:
- a. obtaining a sample of fluid from said papermaking process;
- b. selecting a hydrophobic dye that is capable of interacting with said contaminants in said fluid and fluorescing in said fluid;
- c. adding said dye to said fluid and allowing a sufficient amount of time for said dye to interact with said contaminants in said fluid;
- d. measuring the fluorescence of the dye in said fluid;
- e. correlating the fluorescence of the dye with the concentration of said contaminants;
- f. passing the sample measured in step (d) through a medium capable of separating the sample into one or more aqueous fractions at least one time;
- g. measuring the fluorescence of the aqueous fractions from step (f) of said sample at least one time;
- h. determining the size of the hydrophobic contaminants of the aqueous fractions;
- i. optionally correlating the fluorescence of the dye in the aqueous fractions with the concentration of said hydrophobic contaminants in the aqueous fractions;
- and
- j. optionally controlling the amount of one or more chemicals that reduce or inactivate said contaminants which are added to said papermaking process.
A method of monitoring one or more hydrophobic contaminants and determining the size of said hydrophobic contaminants in a papermaking process comprising:
- a. obtaining a sample of fluid from said papermaking process;
- b. selecting a hydrophobic dye that is capable of interacting with said contaminants in said fluid and fluorescing in said fluid;
- c. adding said dye to said fluid and allowing a sufficient amount of time for said dye to interact with said contaminants in said fluid;
- d. measuring the fluorescence of the dye in said fluid;
- e. correlating the fluorescence of the dye with the concentration of said contaminants;
- f. filtering the sample measured in step (d) at least one time through at least one filter, wherein the filter has one or more pores with a known pore size;
- g. measuring the fluorescence of the filtrate from step (f) of said sample at least one time;
- h. determining the size of the hydrophobic contaminants of the filtrate and optionally a concentrate from said filtration step;
- i. optionally correlating the fluorescence of the dye in the filtrate and/or reject with the concentration of said hydrophobic contaminants in the filtrate;
- and
- j. optionally controlling the amount of one or more chemicals that reduce or inactivate said contaminants which are added to said papermaking process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.